Band 4.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 4.0 · Cambridge IELTS 12 · 2026-10-21

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

 

Student answer (Band 4.0)

The bar graph shows how often people in the USA ate in fast food restuarants between 2003 and 2013.

Overall, people in the USA ate once a week in 2006 with a percentage of 33 in fast food restuarant and ate once or twice a month in 2013 with the same 33% as 2006.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 3.0

The response identifies the chart’s subject and reports two relevant peaks: weekly eating reached 33% in 2006, while monthly eating reached 33% in 2013. However, it gives no meaningful overview of the changes across all six frequency groups and omits most of the data and comparisons needed to summarise the chart. The statement that the 2013 monthly figure was “the same 33% as 2006” is also unclear: 2006’s 33% refers to eating once a week, not once or twice a month. The response is only 46 words, so it does not meet the 150-word minimum; the eight words copied from the prompt are excluded. Add a clear overview and select key figures and trends from each period.

Coherence and Cohesion: Band 4.5

The response has a basic two-part structure, with an introductory sentence followed by an overview, and the ideas are broadly related to the chart. However, there is too little information to show a clear progression or organise comparisons effectively. The second paragraph combines two different categories and years in one sentence, making the relationship between the figures confusing, especially in “the same 33% as 2006.” Use separate sentences or a comparison structure to distinguish the weekly figure in 2006 from the monthly figure in 2013. A fuller response should group related trends and use clear links such as “by contrast” or “over the period” where appropriate.

Lexical Resource: Band 4.5

The vocabulary is sufficient to identify the chart topic and its main categories, using phrases such as “bar graph,” “how often,” and “once a week.” However, the range is very limited, with repeated use of “ate” and “fast food restaurant,” and there is little language for describing changes or comparing percentages. The spelling “restuarants” is incorrect, and “in fast food restaurant” is an awkward phrase that reduces precision. Use standard chart language such as “the proportion of people,” “accounted for,” “rose,” “fell,” or “was the most common frequency.” These choices would help you report a wider range of data accurately and avoid repetition.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 4.5

The response uses a simple present-tense introduction and a longer sentence to report two figures, and the main meaning is generally understandable. However, the grammatical range is narrow, and the second sentence is not well controlled: “people in the USA ate once a week in 2006 with a percentage of 33” is an awkward construction, while the repeated “ate” makes the comparison difficult to follow. The phrase “in fast food restaurant” also lacks a suitable article or plural form. Practise structures such as “The proportion who ate there once a week was 33% in 2006” and “This compared with 33% who visited once or twice a month in 2013.”

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